TOPIC

/ company

Airbnb

The latest news, analysis and opinion on Airbnb. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

Chairman / President

Brian Chesky

CEO / Managing Director

Brian Chesky

CFO / Finance Director

Ellie Mertz

Industry

Vacation Rental

Website

airbnb.com

Headquarters address

888 Brannan Street, San Francisco, CA 9410

Stock Code

NASDAQ:ABNB

Year founded

2008

The flags of France and China. On Thursday, two Chinese nationals were placed under formal investigation in France. Photo: Reuters

Espionage

2 Chinese in France suspected of spying from Airbnb are under investigation

The Chinese nationals and two others were arrested on Wednesday in an alleged spying case involving a satellite dish.

6 Feb 2026 - 10:51AM

Artificial intelligence

AI race: Meta reportedly uses Alibaba’s Qwen for its ‘Avocado’ model

11 Dec 2025 - 7:00PM

Indonesia

Airbnb ban in Bali? Indonesia says no, but crackdown on illegal stays looms

11 Dec 2025 - 10:51PMvideocam

Indonesia

Bali mulls Airbnb ban to put a lid on revenue leak, overtourism

Airbnbs have emerged as a cheaper alternative to the sprawling resorts that dot the island, eroding tax revenue from hotels.

5 Dec 2025 - 3:41PMvideocam

The Ulun Danu Beratan Hindu temple in Bali. Photo: AFP

Alibaba

AI Singapore picks Alibaba’s Qwen to drive new regional language model

In a boost for China’s AI ambitions, AI Singapore has chosen Alibaba’s Qwen to train its new language model.

25 Nov 2025 - 9:08PM

Artificial intelligence

Airbnb chooses Alibaba’s open-source AI over ‘not ready’ ChatGPT

Airbnb ‘relies heavily’ on Alibaba’s Qwen models to power its AI customer service agent, CEO Brian Chesky says.

22 Oct 2025 - 5:00PM

My Take

Opinion | It’s time for business to stop profiting from Israel’s ‘economy of genocide’

A UN report has exposed dozens of corporations making money from the atrocities being committed across Palestinian territories.

10 Jul 2025 - 9:00AM

Smoke rises in Gaza after an explosion on Monday. A UN report says “far too many corporate entities have profited from the Israeli economy of illegal occupation, apartheid and now genocide”. Photo: Reuters

Trade

Carney says trade talks with US resume after Canada rescinded tech tax

On Friday, Donald Trump abruptly cut off trade talks with Canada over what he called a ‘blatant attack’ on the US.

30 Jun 2025 - 8:26PM

Spain

Spaniards wield water pistols against tourism amid housing crisis

Cities both in Spain and around the world are struggling with overtourism and a boom in short-term rental platforms like Airbnb.

16 Jun 2025 - 12:58AM

Tourism

Should adults-only hotels and restaurants where kids are banned be allowed?

France is considering making ‘no kids’ hospitality venues illegal as a top official warns that such places are dividing French society.

28 May 2025 - 3:04PM

France’s high commissioner for childhood says that excluding children from hospitality venues infringes on their rights, puts pressure on their parents and divides society. Photo: Shutterstock

Tourism

Airbnb now offers in-home chefs, massages alongside home stays

‘Who doesn’t want a quesadilla in bed?’ Airbnb’s chief executive does. Its newly updated app offers users options to book in-home services.

14 May 2025 - 7:15PM

Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky describes the addition of services to the platform as “giving you the best of both worlds”. Photo: AFP

United States

Wall Street gains on tariff optimism, strong jobs data

The gains also come amid signs of a de-escalation in the US’ trade war with China.

2 May 2025 - 11:09PMvideocam

Family offices

Hong Kong family offices should unload US assets, look to Japan, UAE, advisory says

Now is a ‘critical moment’ to ‘get rid of the US’, especially equities and Treasuries, to ‘maintain lower risk-return ratios’, CEO says.

1 May 2025 - 3:16PM

Millionaires and billionaires

Meet Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia, part of the Trump team at Elon Musk’s Doge

Gebbia co-founded Airbnb in San Francisco in 2008 and is now worth at least US$8.7 billion – he sits on the boards of Airbnb and Tesla, and has worked with Musk on various projects and investments.

26 Feb 2025 - 6:00AM

Elon Musk has a new colleague at Doge in Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia. Photos: TNS, @joegebs/Instagram

Year in Review

Travel stories you read most in 2024, about a horror gang rape and more

We look back at some of the top stories in travel for 2024, from a shocking gang rape in India to the revamp of Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown.

30 Dec 2024 - 4:18PM

Mountaineers climb a slope during their ascent of Mount Everest in Nepal in 2021. A story about overcrowding on peaks like this one was one of the top five travel stories of the year. Photo: AFP

Tourism

Paris joins anti-Airbnb bandwagon with holiday flats crackdown

French capital takes advantage of new law to curb apartment rentals to tourists. Officials say practice limits housing supply for residents.

29 Nov 2024 - 2:15PM

Tourism

Croatia the latest tourist-trap nation to mull short-term rental controls

With rents rising and a housing shortage, Croatia is taking steps to tax short-term holiday lets. Meanwhile, sustainable tourism gets a push.

23 Nov 2024 - 1:15PM

Trending in China

China woman pays US$8,300 for hotel room by confusing yuan and Korean won symbols

If rate had been in Korean won, it would have cost only US$37 for one night.

20 Nov 2024 - 9:00AM

Xiao was shocked to see 60,904 yuan deducted from her account after booking a serviced apartment on Jeju Island in South Korea. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/163.com

Tourism

Gladiators back at Colosseum after 2,000 years, thanks to Airbnb

As Gladiator II hits cinemas, Airbnb and guardians of the Roman ruin team up to offer faux fights there under a deal decried as ‘a disgrace’.

18 Nov 2024 - 4:50PM

Fame and celebrity

Home of early Beatles gigs opens as an Airbnb rental in Liverpool

Some of The Beatles’ earliest gigs were held in the basement of a house in Liverpool, and Pete Best, the original Beatles drummer who Ringo Starr replaced, has opened it up as an Airbnb.

23 Aug 2024 - 2:18AM

Fame and celebrity

Who is Brian Chesky, the Airbnb CEO and co-founder worth US$8.6 billion?

Brian Chesky defined himself as an artist, and now he’s one of the world’s most influential CEOs – here’s what you need to know about the 42-year-old New Yorker

6 Aug 2024 - 5:00AM

Who is Brian Chesky, the Airbnb founder worth US$8.6 billion? Photo: @cleverpodcast/Instagram

Tourism

Does Barcelona’s holiday-lets ban offer blueprint for other destinations?

Faced with rising rents and a housing shortage, Barcelona says it will end apartment rentals to tourists by 2028. It comes as destinations such as New York and Venice take measures against overtourism.

31 Jul 2024 - 4:15PM

Apartments in Barcelona whose residents are protesting against eviction to make way for short-term rental units. The Spanish city has announced a ban on such Airbnb-style rental properties from 2028, which could serve as a blueprint for other tourist destinations to follow. Photo: AP

Tourism

Backlash from a US city’s Airbnb ban hits property sales and house prices

When Palm Springs in California, a city dependent on tourism, capped the number of private rental properties, house prices fell and property sales slowed.

6 Feb 2024 - 5:14AM

Asia travel

Penang’s Airbnb ban, 7 wonders in 7 days: 2023’s most read travel stories

From Penang’s Airbnb ban to two Swiss towns with macabre art by Alien movie designer H R Giger to a dash to see seven wonders of the world in a week, the travel stories most read by Post readers in 2023.

28 Dec 2023 - 4:17PM

Tourism

Loved Wonka? Stay in the sweet shop author Roald Dahl adored – it’s an Airbnb

Owned by a Hongkonger, the sweet shop that Willy Wonka creator Roald Dahl fell in love with as a child in Wales – and likely inspired Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – can be rented on Airbnb.

23 Dec 2023 - 5:15PM

Timothee Chalamet’s in Wonka. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures

Tourism

‘A better experience than an Airbnb’: how hostels are going upmarket

Hostels are becoming the latest travel trend, with some offering hotel-style experiences – think private rooms and rooftop pools – at much lower prices than both hotels and Airbnbs.

1 Dec 2023 - 4:15PM

Travellers enjoy the cafe at HI San Francisco Fisherman’s Wharf Hostel, where a private room costs less than US$100 on some nights and the rate includes Wi-fi, breakfast and luggage storage. More travellers are considering hostels as alternatives to hotels and Airbnbs.

Japan

As millions of empty homes rot in Japan, Airbnb aims to fill them with tourists

Airbnb plans to partner with businesses and local governments to encourage homeowners to invest in renovations.

30 Nov 2023 - 9:32AMvideocam

Luxury travel

7 unique luxury Airbnbs to book for your next holiday, from Bali to Italy

Travellers seeking an experience beyond a hotel room are turning to Airbnb properties that offer a stay out of the ordinary, from Bali and Koh Samui to Costa Rica, Italy and California

14 Nov 2023 - 10:00AM

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Airbnb

2 Chinese in France suspected of spying from Airbnb are under investigation

The Chinese nationals and two others were arrested on Wednesday in an alleged spying case involving a satellite dish.

AI race: Meta reportedly uses Alibaba’s Qwen for its ‘Avocado’ model

Airbnb ban in Bali? Indonesia says no, but crackdown on illegal stays looms

Bali mulls Airbnb ban to put a lid on revenue leak, overtourism

Airbnbs have emerged as a cheaper alternative to the sprawling resorts that dot the island, eroding tax revenue from hotels.

AI Singapore picks Alibaba’s Qwen to drive new regional language model

In a boost for China’s AI ambitions, AI Singapore has chosen Alibaba’s Qwen to train its new language model.

Airbnb chooses Alibaba’s open-source AI over ‘not ready’ ChatGPT

Airbnb ‘relies heavily’ on Alibaba’s Qwen models to power its AI customer service agent, CEO Brian Chesky says.

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Opinion | It’s time for business to stop profiting from Israel’s ‘economy of genocide’

A UN report has exposed dozens of corporations making money from the atrocities being committed across Palestinian territories.

Carney says trade talks with US resume after Canada rescinded tech tax

On Friday, Donald Trump abruptly cut off trade talks with Canada over what he called a ‘blatant attack’ on the US.

Spaniards wield water pistols against tourism amid housing crisis

Cities both in Spain and around the world are struggling with overtourism and a boom in short-term rental platforms like Airbnb.

Should adults-only hotels and restaurants where kids are banned be allowed?

France is considering making ‘no kids’ hospitality venues illegal as a top official warns that such places are dividing French society.

Airbnb now offers in-home chefs, massages alongside home stays

‘Who doesn’t want a quesadilla in bed?’ Airbnb’s chief executive does. Its newly updated app offers users options to book in-home services.

Wall Street gains on tariff optimism, strong jobs data

The gains also come amid signs of a de-escalation in the US’ trade war with China.

Hong Kong family offices should unload US assets, look to Japan, UAE, advisory says

Now is a ‘critical moment’ to ‘get rid of the US’, especially equities and Treasuries, to ‘maintain lower risk-return ratios’, CEO says.

Meet Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia, part of the Trump team at Elon Musk’s Doge

Gebbia co-founded Airbnb in San Francisco in 2008 and is now worth at least US$8.7 billion – he sits on the boards of Airbnb and Tesla, and has worked with Musk on various projects and investments.

Travel stories you read most in 2024, about a horror gang rape and more

We look back at some of the top stories in travel for 2024, from a shocking gang rape in India to the revamp of Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown.

Paris joins anti-Airbnb bandwagon with holiday flats crackdown

French capital takes advantage of new law to curb apartment rentals to tourists. Officials say practice limits housing supply for residents.

Croatia the latest tourist-trap nation to mull short-term rental controls

With rents rising and a housing shortage, Croatia is taking steps to tax short-term holiday lets. Meanwhile, sustainable tourism gets a push.

China woman pays US$8,300 for hotel room by confusing yuan and Korean won symbols

If rate had been in Korean won, it would have cost only US$37 for one night.

Gladiators back at Colosseum after 2,000 years, thanks to Airbnb

As Gladiator II hits cinemas, Airbnb and guardians of the Roman ruin team up to offer faux fights there under a deal decried as ‘a disgrace’.

Home of early Beatles gigs opens as an Airbnb rental in Liverpool

Some of The Beatles’ earliest gigs were held in the basement of a house in Liverpool, and Pete Best, the original Beatles drummer who Ringo Starr replaced, has opened it up as an Airbnb.

Who is Brian Chesky, the Airbnb CEO and co-founder worth US$8.6 billion?

Brian Chesky defined himself as an artist, and now he’s one of the world’s most influential CEOs – here’s what you need to know about the 42-year-old New Yorker

Does Barcelona’s holiday-lets ban offer blueprint for other destinations?

Faced with rising rents and a housing shortage, Barcelona says it will end apartment rentals to tourists by 2028. It comes as destinations such as New York and Venice take measures against overtourism.

Backlash from a US city’s Airbnb ban hits property sales and house prices

When Palm Springs in California, a city dependent on tourism, capped the number of private rental properties, house prices fell and property sales slowed.

Penang’s Airbnb ban, 7 wonders in 7 days: 2023’s most read travel stories

From Penang’s Airbnb ban to two Swiss towns with macabre art by Alien movie designer H R Giger to a dash to see seven wonders of the world in a week, the travel stories most read by Post readers in 2023.

Loved Wonka? Stay in the sweet shop author Roald Dahl adored – it’s an Airbnb

Owned by a Hongkonger, the sweet shop that Willy Wonka creator Roald Dahl fell in love with as a child in Wales – and likely inspired Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – can be rented on Airbnb.

‘A better experience than an Airbnb’: how hostels are going upmarket

Hostels are becoming the latest travel trend, with some offering hotel-style experiences – think private rooms and rooftop pools – at much lower prices than both hotels and Airbnbs.

As millions of empty homes rot in Japan, Airbnb aims to fill them with tourists

Airbnb plans to partner with businesses and local governments to encourage homeowners to invest in renovations.

7 unique luxury Airbnbs to book for your next holiday, from Bali to Italy

Travellers seeking an experience beyond a hotel room are turning to Airbnb properties that offer a stay out of the ordinary, from Bali and Koh Samui to Costa Rica, Italy and California

Opinion | It’s time for business to stop profiting from Israel’s ‘economy of genocide’